Judges Hope To Trim Officers` Waiting Time

Broward County judges devised a plan Friday to tell police officers the exact time their cases will be called in court, hoping it will save cities thousands of dollars in overtime pay.

The plan is a response to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in February ruled that municipal employees must be paid for working overtime. This includes police officers who may be off duty, but are on standby for court appearances.

``If you`re engaged to wait, you`re paid -- that`s the law,`` said Ed Williams, a lawyer who has studied the problem for the Broward County League of Cities.

Plantation Police Chief Morris Meek, a member of a league committee that met with judges Friday, said the overtime ruling may cost his department an additional $50,000 annually in salaries.

The judges, together with State Attorney Michael Satz, drafted a plan that calls for officers to be subpoenaed for a specific time each week, for example, 9 a.m. on a Tuesday.

The day before, county judges would hold status hearings to determine specific days and times for each case that week. Court officials would then call police officers with the specific day and time to be in court.

``We`ll call you off call before you go on call -- and put you on the road,`` said acting Sunrise Mayor Bob Butterworth, a former sheriff and judge, who also represented the League of Cities.

``We`re not concerned about dollars. We`re concerned about down time`` when police officers are waiting at the courthouse rather than patrolling the streets, Butterworth said.

Larry Seidlin, administrative judge for the County Court, said he hoped to start the new system in 1986, although Satz had some reservations.

``Our interest in this is to protect the integrity of the case,`` said Satz. ``If the officer fails to show up and the judge dismisses it (the case), we don`t have any discretion over that.`` But the judges and city officials said they wanted to try the plan.

County Court is responsible for handling misdmeanors such as shoplifting or driving under the influence.

``They`ll be looking at implementing it in Circuit Court,`` Williams said.